Parents are looking for programs that meet or exceed their needs and what they believe to be the needs of their children. And since families and situations differ, a parent's expectation can vary widely. There are some baseline expectations that should be met by every early intervention program as suggested by the National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities or NICHCY.
Considerations
According to NICHCY, early intervention services are specialized health, educational, social and therapeutic services and interventions designed to meet the needs of babies and young children from birth through 2 years old. To qualify, a family must have a developmentally delayed or disabled child. States control the services to a great degree and can opt to also provide services for children considered at risk for developing substantial problems absent supportive services.
Simplicity
As a parent, you are tuned in to your child. You may have older kids or if this is your first, you may have devoured the child development books in anticipation of assuming your new role as mom or dad. If your child is born with obvious deficits or disabilities or with those that are less evident, you will need to play an unexpected role of navigator. The early intervention programs are run by your state and have specific rules that need to be followed and it may all seem overwhelming. Making the complicated simple for a person who is frightened, sad, confused and may be in denial is a challenge. Parents want a simple road to follow to get help for their kids. They also want a guide they can rely on to be there when they get lost.
Forgiveness
As a parent you likely did not expect your child to be different or to need special services. When ever you learned of the need, whether during pregnancy, immediately following birth or soon after you may have blamed yourself. Helping parents sort through the litany of recriminations in a nonjudgemental way can help them forgive themselves and accept that their child is not perfect and that it is OK. Perfection is not a prerequisite of the human race. Early intervention programs that provide support for both parents and children help the parent accept and embrace reality and genuinely participate in the treatment plan. It also helps them celebrate the joys of achievement their children will experience.
Organization
Often, it may be difficult for a parent to track and organize all the appointments, therapy, home practice, medications, exercises, assessments, interventions and results of tests their child participates in. Clear guidance about what they need to keep and why it is important to their child's records can go a long way in helping a parent understand the system. Even better is a tool they can use at home whether it is a special file or spreadsheet that they can enter important dates and outcomes on can provide a feeling of competence and an ability to participate in the system. This is especially helpful to the parent whose child will likely move from early intervention to other system supported levels of education and assistance.
References
- Early Childhood Intervention Programs: What Do We Know?
- University of Michigan, Department of Psycholog: "At Risk" Children: Analysis and Examination of Early Childhood Intervention Programs
- Early Childhood in Michigan: A Parent's Dictionary: Early Intervention Terms A-Z
- National Dissemination Center for Children With Disabilities: Overview of Early Intervention
